Our world is under siege. You are among the few who can turn the tide. You have passed through death and returned stronger than before. You are a Phoenix, and you are our last and only hope.

Over the last decade I’ve worked with a lot of different RPG companies. I created Eberron with Wizards of the Coast. I helped develop the foundations of 13th Age. And I’ve done a wide range of freelance work for Atlas Games, Green Ronin, Goodman Games, Pelgrane Press and many more. Now I’m creating a roleplaying game on my own. I’ve been working on Phoenix: Dawn Command for over a year, and it’s time to start talking about it.

Phoenix uses a simple, flexible card-based system with hooks that encourage storytelling and shared narrative control. It’s a squad-driven game, and death is part of the character advancement process. Your team can accomplish great things, but you’ll be faced with difficult decisions and consequences. You’ll need to push to your limits… and beyond.

I’ve been testing locally and at conventions over the last year, and I’ll be expanding testing on the JoCo Cruise next week. In March I’ll be taking the game to Kickstarter. Over the next few weeks and during the Kickstarter, I’ll be posting more details about the game, the setting, and the team and history behind it. Here’s a few quick points to get things started.

What do you mean by “card-based roleplaying game?” Phoenix: Dawn Command is a roleplaying game, with a gamemaster who develops and drives the story. However, it uses cards in place of dice or other randomizers. As a player you have a deck of cards that represent the attributes and abilities of your character, and your fate is literally in your hand. This gives you a certain degree of narrative control. When you make an attack, you know what it will take to succeed; it’s a question of whether you’re willing to expend the resources necessary to make it a success.

Death is the character advancement mechanic? As a Phoenix, you learn from each death and return stronger than before. It’s not just about death itself, but how and why you die – what your character takes away from the experience. However, you can only return seven times, and you don’t return immediately. Rather than trivializing the experience, it allows personal sacrifice to be an important choice; you need to determine how and when it’s worth laying down your life.

Who else is involved in the game? This is Twogether Studios‘ (my company) first release. The game is being produced by Jennifer Ellis. My co-designer on the game is Dan Garrison. Grace Allison and Rich Ellis are creating amazing art, and I’ll get a sneak peek of that posted soon!

How can I find out more? Sign up for our mailing list here.

Are you going on the JoCo Cruise? Sign up here for an a play test spot.I’m proud of Phoenix: Dawn Command and thrilled to finally be unveiling it – more details in upcoming weeks! »